François de Lorraine 2nd Duc de, 1519–63, French general and statesman.
his son Henri I de Lorraine Duc de, 1550–88, French general and leader of opposition to the Huguenots.
semblance or pretence
under the guise of friendship
external appearance in general
archaic manner or style of dress
obsolete customary behaviour or manner
dialect to disguise or be disguised in fancy dress
archaic (tr) to dress or dress up
See appearance.
1175–1225; (noun) Middle English g ( u ) ise < Old French < Germanic; see wise 2: (v.) Middle English gisen, derivative of the noun
The noun guise refers to an outward appearance that conceals the true nature of someone or something. Your classmate might chat with you under the guise of friendship, but you know she's really just looking for juicy gossip. No doubt you’ve noticed the similarity between guise and disguise. Both involve the art of deception: it’s the methods that differ. Guise is about trying on new attitudes and mannerisms, such as speaking and acting in the guise of a native in a place where you are actually a tourist. Disguise involves hiding your real identity, disappearing in the new role.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“He used bed slats and table legs. He scraped glue from the bottom of bits of furniture around the camp,” said Kimberly Guise, a senior curator at the museum.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 2, 2023
Anastasia Guise, a resident of Billen Cliffs Village - a rural community in northern New South Wales state some 800 km distant from Sydney - has tapped Jagun for help.
From Reuters • Sep. 12, 2023
The crown was made for James V, who first wore it at the Coronation of Queen Mary of Guise in 1540.
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2023
They include Guise, a luminous fabric made partly from chenille yarns, and Forest, an intensely colorful wall covering based on his installation “Architectural Forest.”
From New York Times • Jan. 16, 2023
"She must not think to deceive me!" replied the Duke of Guise.
From Henry of Guise; (Vol. II of 3) or, The States of Blois by James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
